


Songbird

by darkspine10



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance, Singing, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 06:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20541698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkspine10/pseuds/darkspine10
Summary: Dipper discovers that Pacifica has an entrancing singing voice. But can he coax her into singing for him again?





	Songbird

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to take a brief hiatus from working on my long Gravity Falls project, 'Forever Falling', which I'm currently writing (10 chapters are written at this time). This idea just came to me yesterday, so I wanted to quickly get it written down.
> 
> I wrote this in a bit of a rush, so apologies if it feels a bit rough ;)
> 
> It's just a bit of fun Dipcifica fluff, hopefully it'll tide over anyone who wants more of my stuff :)

Dipper awoke at dawn after another long sleepover at the Shack. Mabel had brought all her friends over the night before and had a raucous party. As always, he made a token participation, then tried to sleep through all their intense ‘girl talk’. Even Pacifica had been roped into that for once. She’d been a regular at Mabel’s sleepovers ever since making amends with the twins at the end of their first summer together.

Now he was up early, ahead of the others, who were still likely lying around downstairs in the living room where he’d left them. He decided to take advantage of that and got up to go for a quick shower, before it was overrun by the girls.

As he approached, it turned out that the shower was occupied. He could hear the water running. But just over that sound he could hear a voice. The person was singing, some kind of pop song. It sounded like the radio was on. How else could the singing sound so good?

He placed his ear to the door, now curious about the song. The voice was beautiful to his ears, hitting every note perfectly. He opened the door a crack to hear it more clearly.

His eyes widened though as heard the voice unobstructed. It was Pacifica’s voice, he realised. He poked his head round the door, seeing her standing by the sink. She had a towel wrapped round herself, her long hair drying from a recent shower.

She was holding a comb like a microphone and singing into loudly. Dipper couldn’t hold back a grin at the sight, she looked so happy. She lifted her ‘mic’, closed her eyes, and sung a triumphant final chorus note.

When she opened her eyes, she looked into the bathroom mirror, satisfied with her rendition of the song. She yelped, seeing Dipper in the reflection. “Dipper, oh my god!” She frantically tightened the towel around herself. “Ever heard of knocking, doofus!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, uh- I- oh.” He covered in face in shame, a massive red blush emerging in his cheeks. “I’m really sorry Pacifica, I didn’t mean to spy on you.”

“You're as bad as your sister when it comes to privacy, ugh!” She pinched her nose. “What do you even want, why didn’t you say anything?”

He lowered his head to the floor, not wanting to be accused of perving on her, and also just to avoid her steely gaze. “Actually, I was just, uh- you were doing really well, and I didn’t wanna interrupt. I’ve never heard you before, you have such a lovely voice.”

Realisation dawned on Pacifica. “You were listening to me singing?!” Now it was her turn to blush. “This is so embarrassing. I had the shower on for a reason!” She reached over and angrily turned the flow of water off. “You didn’t hear anything, it’s not what it looks like.”

“Paz, you don’t have to worry. I’m not gonna mock you, you sounded excellent.”

“It was just some dumb teen song, forget about it, I’m not that good.”

“Not that good?! You were amazing, oh man, if I could sing like that-“

“Shut up! I said don’t talk about it!”

Dipper cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Huh? I don’t get it. Paz, we all sing in the shower from time to time.”

“Don’t I know that, when you sing no-one in the Shack can ignore it. No offence.”

“None taken. But it’s not about how good I sound, it’s about losing yourself in the music, having a bit of fun. Weren’t you having fun?” Pacifica stuck her bottom lip out. “Come on, you can tell me. I’m not gonna tease you. I promise.” He put his hand over his heart, which seemed to convince her. She pulled him inside conspiratorially and shut the shower door. He could only blush, it wasn’t every day he was dragged into a private room by a girl in a towel.

“Singing, for me, isn’t about ‘fun’ or ‘hanging loose’. I don’t like other people hearing me like that, it’s too… too honest.” She balled up her fists. “When I sing, it comes from within. I don’t like people seeing who I am under everything else.”

“But you sang before, Mabel told me. You won that stupid popularity competition at Stan’s party.”

“It wasn’t stupid to me,” she said sadly. “That was all rehearsed, artificial. It was all about maintaining my image. Blame my parents, like everything else they ruined in my life. They made it all about being the best, singing to cue whenever I was called.”

“Singing doesn’t have to be like that. This is weird, you’re usually so confident about everything. If there’s one thing I look up to you for, it’s that.”

“You look up to me?” They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, then both awkwardly chuckled. “Well, I’m not singing again, I just don’t feel brave enough. Besides, the others will be up soon, I don’t want them hearing me either.”

“Maybe you just need to try singing around other people slowly.” Dipper was determined to help her get out of her shell. “I’ll think of something Paz, wait and see.” He headed out of the shower, mindful that they’d been alone together in here for longer than was probably decent. He stopped at the door thought. “Oh, for what it’s worth – I thought your singing was one of the prettiest things I’ve ever heard.” The look of adorable blushing on her face turned out to be one of the prettiest things he’d ever seen either.

* * *

“Ok Dipper, you’ve dragged me out into the woods alone, now what?”

“Just wait and see Paz, I found a nice quiet spot.”

“Still determined on making me sing like a bird? You know I don’t respond well to orders these days, thanks to you.”

“Touché. But I think this’ll help.” He pushed aside some branches into a small clearing. “Ta da! I give you: Our portable karaoke machine!” The machine was a small purple box with a screen for selecting songs and a microphone cord.

“You really think this is gonna work?”

“Trust me, there’s no one around for miles, we can crack this ‘singing fear’, I know it!” He decisively hit his fist into his palm, making Pacifica shake her head and laugh.

“Whatever you say mystery boy. I think it’s cute that you’re treating my tight-lip as equivalent to the deep mysteries of the valley.” She toyed with the microphone, then checked the song list.

Dipper slapped the side of the machine. “This old baby may look old and might only have songs from the 80’s, but it still works a treat. It literally saved my life once too, so it has that going for it.”

Pacifica laughed. “I never know if you’re serious or not with that kind of thing. Let’s see, ‘Don’t Start Unbelieving’?”

“Nah, I have a history with that song.”

“Hmm, ‘Escalator to Paradise’? Too preachy. ‘Steam on the Lake’? Too grunge metaly. Hey, have you heard ’Forever Summer’?”

“No, but we can give it a go. Even if it’s just a ‘dumb teen song’. We are ‘dumb teens' after all,” he said with a wink. “Besides, if I can enjoy a bit of Babba then who am I to judge.”

He pressed for the song to start and Pacifica nervously picked up the mic. “Are you sure about this Dipper, I’m having second thoughts.”

“Just believe in yourself Paz, you’re the one who always tells me you can do whatever you want. So do this too.”

She twisted the mic cord in her finger as the music started playing. It was a bouncy modern song, with an upbeat melody. Pacifica held the mic up to her lips but hesitated as the first lyrics came up on the screen. The words rolled by, silently, as she couldn’t get the words out.

“_Through the shining paths we walk_  
_We aint got no time to talk_  
_ Take me out another day_  
_ Say the words you long to say._”

Then the chorus, which should have been a loud enthusiastic cry of ‘Forever Summer!’, but was instead just Paz’s mute anxiety. “I can’t do it!” Her mouth kept twitching, longing to sing along and held back.

Dipper paused the music and took the mic off of her. His bottom lip was stuck out, his classic thinking face. He was still treating this like some problem to be magically solved. Maybe that was the wrong approach. He put his hands on Pacifica’s shoulders. “Hey, it’s alright. There’s nobody here judging you, is there? Mabel and her friends are far away, your parents aren’t watching. It’s just us.”

“That’s the problem, I can’t do it with _anyone_ watching.”

“Maybe if I start?” He hit play again, then sang brokenly along as he read the lyrics. “_Oh, it’s the perfect time of… uh, year, we have nothing to fear. Come and run away with me, I’ll show you how it feels to be free. Forever Summer!_ Yeah, that’s right, forever, woo.” He goofily tried to clap and cheer.

It seemed to work as Pacifica giggled. “Wow, you weren’t kidding, you really are awful. Almost as bad as how I feel about my singing.”

He lifted her chin with his hand. “Hey, never do that. Don’t drag yourself down Paz, because I already think you’re great.” He blushed but swallowed and carried on. “I think your singing is beautiful Pacifica. I just want to share that with the world.”

She turned away. “That’s… that’s… really goddamn sweet. Ugh, why are you so infuriatingly nice.” She lightly punched his arm and grinned. “Ok, say something else nice about me and you might have a shot at hearing me sing again.”

Dipper frowned. “Oh, uh, I haven’t really thought of anything else. Um…” He distracted himself by grimacing and singing some more. “_Come down to the beach, come down to the sea, come down and you can party with me. Forget all your regrets, you look fine, take off those clothes-_”

“_And I’ll show you a good time!_” Pacifica couldn’t help herself. After Dipper’s words of inspiration, she could no longer hold back the urge to just sing along.

“Wow, these lyrics are kinda suggestive-“

“_Forever Summer!_”

Dipper finally realised that she’d started singing along. With a dumb grin plastered on his face, he took up the next verse. Pacifica once again finished it off, then took the microphone off him to sing the full chorus.

“_Forever Summer, that’s where we’ll be. Together forever, just you and me! From the heat of the sun, till the leaves start to fade. We’ll be a team, we’ve got it made. Oh yeah!_” She sang as well as she had earlier in the bathroom. When she sang the last note, Dipper felt his chest flutter slightly. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he’s said it was so beautiful.

They took turns for the rest of song, singing it as a duet. The more they sung, the more Pacifica loosened up. She started lifting the mic up during the high notes, and triumphantly punching a fist up during the chorus moments. The words were starting to take on a life of their own, it was heavenly to listen to.

Dipper had to keep leaning over to get his notes in. One time when he got close, Paz pulled him into a hug with one arm and held the mic up for him.

It was a tight embrace, and when Pacifica let go after that section of music ended, he held on. She continued to sing but looked up at him with curiosity.

There was an instrumental section in the song, so they just held each other close. Dipper smiled, then reached forwards and kissed her on the lips. She seemed taken aback, then a massive grin broke out on her face.

She held his hand and started singing the next section. Dipper was overjoyed to see her so happy and joined in again. He let himself get taken along with the words, the rhythm and passion carrying him on despite his admittedly poor singing ability. It didn’t matter, he was having fun and so was Pacifica.

Dipper let Pacifica take over the final slow denouement. “_Why can’t it be… why can’t it be… why, oh why can’t it be, Forever Summer…_” He whooped and clapped. Pacifica bowed. “Why thank you, thank you, I’m here all week.” He hugged her tightly and span her around. “Woah Dipper, ha!”

“Pacifica, that was amazing!” Finding himself incapable of holding back, he kissed her again. This time he felt her hands cup his cheek. They stood there united in the act. Once their kissing ended, Dipper ran a hand through her hair. “I’m so proud of you Paz.”

“Thanks Dip, it felt good to unwind like that. No inhibitions, you know.”

“I do. Man, I can’t wait to tell the others-“

“NO!” Pacifica snapped and shouted the single word as she pulled away from him. “No, you can’t tell the others about this.”

Dipper was crestfallen. “But I don’t understand? I thought I helped you get over this, you sang around me?”

“Yeah, you dummy. I sang around _you_. No-one else.”

“Oh. That’s a shame. I thought you’d wanna show everyone how talented you are.” He looked away sadly, but Pacifica turned his face towards herself.

“Hey, it’s ok. We both have something we don’t like sharing with anyone else.” She pushed back the hair covering his forehead. “Now we’re even. You’ve got your birthmark, and I’ve got my voice. Some things should be kept special. For each other.”

Dipper seemed satisfied with that. “So, Paz. You wanna try making some sweet music again? We could do it right now, this machine has a buncha songs.”

“Sure, Dipper.” She sang a short melody, once again making Dipper’s heart sore. “_Together forever, just you and me!_”


End file.
